History Camp 2019 Sessions

History Camp 2019 Sessions Wi-fi: Username is “historycamp” and the password is “historycamp2019”. Social: Tag with #HistoryCamp. We will tweet, post, and livestream @TheHistoryList on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Alexander Hamilton: The Man, the Myths, the Musical Stephen Knott ([email protected], @publius57 and Amazon author page, amazon.com/Stephen-F.-Knott/e/B001HD3NUS) Professor, National Security Affairs Department, United States Naval War College. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway blockbuster Hamilton: An American Musical kept Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill and transformed this unlikely founding father into a Broadway celebrity. But while Hamilton is currently seen as a heroic figure, throughout much of the nation’s history he was seen as “un-American” — a closet monarchist who allegedly hated the people, the “great beast.” Many 20th century historians and biographers repeated distorted accounts first circulated by Thomas Jefferson and his lieutenants, all of whom were determined to ruin Hamilton’s reputation. Franklin Roosevelt repeated these Jeffersonian myths in the midst of his campaign to erect a memorial to the “Sage of Monticello” in the nation’s capital. While Lin-Manuel Miranda restored Hamilton to his proper standing as a key founder, he too has misrepresented the real Hamilton. The real Alexander Hamilton was devoted to the rule of law and to moderation and possessed a healthy aversion to Utopian schemes. The April 19-21, 1775 Evacuations of Middlesex and Essex Counties Alexander Cain ([email protected]), Author, We Stood Our Ground: Lexington in the First Year of the American Revolution and I See Nothing but the Horrors of a Civil War, (historicalnerdery.com) When Lexington’s alarm bell rang, panic set in. A hostile military force was marching directly towards the town. Plunder and destruction were feared. The Reverend William Gordon of Roxbury reported, “the inhabitants had quitted their houses in the general area upon the road, leaving almost everything behind them, and thinking themselves well off in escaping with their lives.” Some took a few belongings. Others hid or buried valuables. The roads were clogged with “women and children weeping.” Residents escaped to woods and fields or to nearby towns. While much attention has been paid to the shots fired that day, we’ll take a close look at what happened to those who weren’t engaged in combat. 1 Are Museums and Objects still Necessary? Erik Bauer ([email protected] & @hipster818), Public Historian and Archivist for the Pea Library Archives With exponential digital content creation, along with more collections accessible on the Internet and the development of community archives, the question is, how important is it to see something “in person”? This question was asked as early as 1968. Online exhibits, the lower cost of digitizing materials, and outreach programs such as the Digital Commonwealth are making materials and collections more accessible to the public, giving them less of a reason to visit the host institution. This discussion will focus on how museums can change to meet modern needs, and also the idea that physical objects still have importance and relevance in the digital age. The Art and Mistery of Spinning Judy Cataldo ([email protected] and colonialspinningbee.blogspot.com), independent researcher. Has given period and modern spinning demonstrations at museums and historic sites. The art of spinning fibers into thread is an ancient craft with a process that has changed only slightly over the millennia. Or has it? How has modern spinning influenced the way we think spinning was done in the 18th century? This presentation will look at how the spinning technology of the 18th century differs from the modern craft, who in the 1700s was doing the spinning and how can we change our historic demonstrations to more accurately reproduce the spinning of thread. Benjamin Franklin, The Rabbi and the Freemasons Dr. Michael Shire, ([email protected]) Chief Academic Officer and Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Hebrew College in Newton, MA. Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography was first published in French in 1791 incorporating a method of moral improvement that he attempted on a daily basis during his life. So how did this method of moral improvement turn up in Eastern Europe in 1808 amongst the Orthodox Jewish community translated into Hebrew? What was the purpose of Rabbi Lefin in making Franklin’s method popular as an alternative to charismatic religion and why did he never reveal his source? How was it accepted as an authentic traditional Jewish practice known as “mussar” (Heb.-discernment) and became a tool in the emergence of Ashkenazi Jews into the European Enlightenment and their admission into civil society. A strange and unlikely story involving a Polish prince, his powerful wife and the worldwide connection of Friends known as Freemasons. There is even a final twist in the tale! 2 Board to Death: The Hidden Leadership Crisis in Public History and What We Do About It Taylor Stoermer (@TaylorStoermer) Lecturer in Museum Studies at Johns Hopkins University and Adviser to the Walt Disney Companies An evaluation and discussion of recent case studies in heritage site management that have resulted in controversy and crisis, as well as several success stories that illustrate the central point: Misguided directors and ill-informed boards are undermining the efforts of front-line staff, who have never been better prepared or more engaged with current trends in the practice of public history. But not always. Particular sites that are likely to be discussed include the Peabody Essex Museum, the Old North Church, Orchard House, Old Sturbridge Village, the Henry Knox Museum, the Claude Moore Colonial Farm, and the Royal House and Slave Quarters. Bringing Early Boston History to Life: Creating and Growing the Partnership of the Historic Bostons President Emeritus Will Holton and President John Morrison, Partnership of the Historic Bostons The Partnership of the Historic Bostons was launched as an all-volunteer organization in 1999 when the Mayors of Boston, Lincolnshire, UK and Boston, Mass. signed an agreement linking our “Mother Town” and its “Daughter City”. In 2003, the Partnership assumed responsibility for the “Boston Charter Day” celebrations from the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Rappaport Foundation. Our mission is promoting public history, and while many residents and tourists have some familiarity with Boston and the Revolution, other than the Mayflower, few know much about the founding and early years of our city. Over time, we broadened our mission from preserving the historical links with Boston, Lincolnshire to exploring how the 17th-century puritan founders of Boston and the Bay Colony helped shape the principles upon which the United States of America was established. We’ll cover how the organization came into existence and the challenges and key initiatives at each stage of it’s growth. We’ll also tell you what we’ve discovered about attracting an audience and creating and offering public history programs to a broad audience, as well as how we measure our impact. The Partnership of the Historic Bostons will have a table to discuss their upcoming programs as well as volunteer opportunities. 3 Charlotte Bradford: Civil War Nurse and Matron of the Home for Wives & Mothers Carolyn Ravenscroft ([email protected]) Archivist and Historian for the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society Charlotte Bradford (1813-1893) of Duxbury, Massachusetts was 48 years old when she left to tend sick and wounded soldiers in the South during the Civil War. For three years she remained, working various capacities for both the Union Army and the United States Sanitary Commission. Her unique career eventually led her to manage the Home for Wives and Mothers, an establishment dedicated to caring for the hundreds of women flocking to Washington, DC seeking their loved ones. Bradford left behind two diaries and numerous letters describing her experiences and those of the women she cared for. Come learn about this interesting and overlooked aspect of Civil War history, much of it in Bradford’s own voice. Colonial Burying Grounds: Hidden Histories BarbaraDonohue ([email protected]), Boston archaeologist and author, Copp’s Hill: Evolution of a Puritan Burying Place 1659 – The Present Colonial burying grounds provide a unique look into New England’s past. While many agree that the gravestones provide striking examples of colonial folk art, what is often overlooked is how the gravestones and their surrounding landscape reflect changing attitudes towards death in an ever-changing world. Research into church and town records often reveals a fascinating story that cannot be discovered in a history book. Join me as we take a look at the hidden histories of three colonial burying grounds. While each history is different – strangely enough each burying ground suffers from the same problem. See if you can figure out what that problem is as we take a journey from the world of the Puritan to the world of today via the colonial burying ground (don’t worry if you can’t figure it out, I will reveal it in the last slide). The Confederate Monument in Boston Harbor: An exploration of one of Massachusetts’ only markers dedicated to the Confederacy Shawn P. Quigley ([email protected]), National Park Ranger, Boston African American National Historic Site In late May of 1963, members of the Civil War centennial commission gathered on Georges Island to witness the unveiling of a new monument. Described by historian Edward Rowe Snow as “one of the most important services ever held at Fort Warren,” this was not a marker dedicated to soldiers who fought for the Union, but rather to the Confederate prisoners who died on the island. 4 Though largely forgotten, what is believed to be one of Massachusetts only monuments dedicated to the Confederacy, received substantial attention in the summer of 2017 as a part of the national conversation on monuments to the Lost Cause.

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